VA Barometer 2020/21: Increased public confidence in research in Sweden

Swedes’ confidence in both research and researchers has increased. Nine out of ten Swedes have high confidence in researchers, while just under half have the similar level of confidence in news journalists. These are some of the results of the new VA Barometer investigating the Swedish public’s attitudes towards science and research, now available in English.

Coronavirus in the Swedish media
– latest results of VA study

Confidence in government officials who comment on the coronavirus is at its lowest level since the start of the pandemic. Journalists are perceived to be less in agreement than previously when it comes to their views on how the pandemic is being handled. These are the latest findings of VA’s real-time study to understand how people in Sweden are receiving and interpreting information about the pandemic, and how this is linked to the way it is being communicated in the media.

Forthcoming activities

This year’s Forum for Science Communication, the Nordic’s largest scicomm conference, co-organised by VA, is taking place online on 14 April. Many of the afternoon sessions will be held in English and are open to scicomm professionals from around the world. Hear about how different organisations have been tackling the pandemic, share lessons learned and discuss future trends with both Swedish and international experts. Registration (free) is now open.

Join fellow science communication professionals and science engagers from across the globe for an hour of informal networking and knowledge exchange on 14 April at 15:15 CET. Being organised by the Falling Walls Engage Hub Sweden coordinated by VA, the networking event is being held back to back with the Swedish Forum for Science Communication. Register to join the networking event.

VA is involved in a new EU project exploring the ethical implications of new, emerging technologies. TechEthos is a three-year project involving organisations from twelve European countries. VA is one of six science communication organisations gathering societal perspectives to inform the project. This will involve conducting a media analysis as well as running public engagement events, in-depth workshops and an exhibition in Sweden. 

To help citizens better understand the bioeconomy, the EU project Allthings.bioPRO is producing a collection of engaging articles and interactive media, available on the allthings.bio portal. The project focuses on four main themes: bio-based food packaging; sustainable fashion and textiles; bio-based products for kids and schools; and jobs and careers in the bioeconomy. As a partner in the project, VA is currently in the middle of the co-creation process to build a serious game and mobile application with the input of citizens.

VA’s recent activities

In February, VA participated in the official kickoff meeting for YouCount – a new EU-funded project looking to investigate and develop new ways to increase social inclusion of young people. VA, Södertörn University and Botkyrka Youth Council are collaborating on the Swedish part of the project, which runs until December 2023.

Results of the public dialogues on genome editing run by the EU Orion-Open Science project have now been published. Findings from the dialogues run in Sweden, Germany, the Czech Republic and UK were discussed at an online event on 11 March, which explored the role of public dialogues from different stakeholder perspectives. The public dialogue reports, a how-to guide plus recording of the event and presentations are now available on the ORION website. 

Highlights from the EU ORION-Open Science project are being showcased in a series of inspiring stories exploring the impact of different co-creation activities undertaken during the four-year project. Public engagement initiatives include the Genigma citizen science game; a water pollution project for schools; and the ÆON art installation.

Communicating Science in Times of Covid-19 is a new report exploring how European science communication practices have changed during the coronavirus pandemic. VA contributed one of ten perspectives on the role and relevance of science communication during the pandemic, drawing upon the results from its ongoing study on how Swedes are receiving and interpreting information about the coronavirus.

How the pandemic has affected trust in science in different EU countries is the focus of a new discussion paper. In the article, five experienced science communication researchers and practitioners discuss pandemic impacts for trust in Germany, Ireland, Italy and Sweden. Produced as result of a collaboration between the PCST Network and EUSEA, the paper features a contribution from VA’s Secretary General, Cissi Askwall.

VA’s recent publications and resources available in English

VA Barometer 2020/2021: An annual survey into the Swedish public’s general attitudes towards science and researchers.

VA information folder 2021: Information about VA and its members.

Research.Foresight: A study investigating how research is communicated in Sweden and Europe today and in the future.

The Star-Spotting Experiment 2019 – Final Report

VA’s definition guides to science communication, citizen science, open science and responsible research and innovation

VA in social media